Image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image reading apparatus includes a support portion, a reading unit, and a first movable unit. The first movable unit moves the reading unit in a second direction, where a conveyance direction in which a sheet is conveyed in a conveyance path is defined as a first direction, a width direction of a first surface of the sheet orthogonal to the first direction is defined as the second direction, and a direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction is defined as a third direction. The first movable unit moves the reading unit between a first position and a second position. The first position is a position where a reading surface of the reading unit and the support portion face each other, and the second position is a position where the reading surface of the reading unit and the support portion do not face each other.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image reading apparatus comprising:
 a support portion configured to support a second surface of a sheet with an image formed on a first surface of the sheet in a conveyance path where the sheet is conveyed;   a reading unit disposed on one side opposite to another side on which the support portion is disposed across the conveyance path, and configured to read the first surface of the sheet conveyed in the conveyance path; and   a first movable unit configured to move the reading unit in a second direction, where a conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed in the conveyance path is defined as a first direction, a width direction of the first surface of the sheet orthogonal to the first direction is defined as the second direction, and a direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction is defined as a third direction,   wherein the first movable unit is configured to move the reading unit between a first position and a second position, and   wherein the first position is a position where a reading surface of the reading unit and the support portion face each other, and the second position is a position where the reading surface of the reading unit and the support portion do not face each other.   
     
     
         2 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second movable unit configured to move the reading unit in the third direction,
 wherein the second movable unit is configured to move the reading unit located at the first position between a reading position and a separated position further away from the support portion than the reading position, and   the first movable unit is configured to move the reading unit located at the separated position between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         3 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable portion configured to rotate the reading unit about a first rotation shaft,
 wherein the rotatable portion is configured to rotate the reading unit located at the second position to an inclined position where the reading surface is inclined by a predetermined angle.   
     
     
         4 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a second movable unit configured to move the reading unit in the third direction,
 wherein the second movable unit is configured to move the reading unit located at the first position between a reading position and a separated position further away from the support portion than the reading position, and   wherein the first movable unit is configured to move the reading unit located at the separated position between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         5 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the rotatable portion includes a pair of holding portions provided in the second movable unit, and configured to hold both end portions of the reading unit in the second direction,   wherein the reading unit includes protrusions at both side portions thereof in the second direction, and   wherein the pair of holding portions includes arc-shaped slits into which the protrusions are inserted to regulate a moving direction of the reading unit, and at least one of the pair of holding portions includes a locking portion configured to be engaged with one of the protrusions protruding from the arc-shaped slits to lock the reading unit at the inclined position in a case where the reading unit is located at the inclined position.   
     
     
         6 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the reading unit includes a unit gripping portion to be gripped while the reading unit is rotated along the arc-shaped slits. 
     
     
         7 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the first movable unit includes:
 a pair of slide rails extending in the second direction at a distance therebetween in the conveyance direction, and   a movable frame configured to hold the second movable unit and move the reading unit along the pair of slide rails between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         8 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the movable frame is provided with a frame gripping portion for moving the movable frame in a sliding manner along the pair of slide rails. 
     
     
         9 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the second movable unit includes a second rotation shaft extending in the second direction, a handle provided at a first end portion of the second rotation shaft in the third direction and configured to rotate the second rotation shaft, and a pair of lifting/lowering portions disposed at both end portions of the second rotation shaft in the second direction and configured to lift or lower the pair of holding portions in the third direction as the second rotation shaft rotates, and   wherein each of the pair of lifting/lowering portions includes a worm gear fixed to the second rotation shaft, a worm wheel meshed with the worm gear, a pinion gear connected to the worm wheel via a gear shaft, and a rack gear provided in the movable frame with a gear train meshed with the pinion gear being disposed in the third direction.   
     
     
         10 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein a direction of a rotation axis of the first rotation shaft is a direction along the second direction. 
     
     
         11 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the support portion is an endless conveyor belt configured to convey the sheet. 
     
     
         12 . The image reading apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the reading unit includes a reading portion configured to read the image on the sheet by emitting light to the sheet that is being conveyed and receiving light reflected from the sheet, a housing configured to house the reading portion, and a transmission portion provided on the reading surface in the housing and allowing the light emitted from the reading portion and the light reflected from the sheet to be transmitted therethrough. 
     
     
         13 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 the image reading apparatus according to  claim 1 ; and   an image forming portion configured to form the image on the first surface of the sheet,   wherein the image reading apparatus is disposed downstream of the image forming portion in the conveyance direction of the sheet.   
     
     
         14 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the image forming portion is a recording head configured to form the image on the sheet by ejecting an ink, and   wherein the reading unit is disposed downstream of the recording head in the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         15 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to adjust a position of the recording head based on a reading result read by the reading unit.